The Lord Mayor’s Medal recognises outstanding and innovative unpaid service and support provided to others, especially selfless service to a voluntary body or to our community, or which brings distinction and quality to Bristol life.
Lord Mayor’s Medal
Earlier this month, Ian Watt received a Lord Mayor’s Medal at a ceremony at City Hall.
Ian Watt makes a quiet and significant contribution to Knowle West. Supporting community organisations, offering community voice, advocating for the community and ensuring the best for Knowle West.
As a local resident Ian was a founding member of Knowle West Alliance, contributing to ideas and time to create a local initiative working together for Knowle West. Ian has continued to support KWA actively attending bi-monthly Working Group meetings since KWA was founded in 2019.
Ian is an active member of various local planning and development groups: Filwood Broadway Working Group, Knowle West Futures – advocating for purposeful and appropriate developments locally. He works alongside residents and councillor officers to ensure any local developments are the best for the the community. He has been an active in adding community voice to Filwood Broadway LUF development and the Filwood Broadway Action Team. He has advocated on behalf of the community to the local MP to encourage sustainable development to achieve the goals for getting the right mix of leases, businesses and services in Filwood Broadway.
He is a trustee of Filwood Hope Advice centre – who provide advice and support to local residents and previously a trustee of Streetspace who provide youth provision locally. He has been part of Working Groups for developments working alongside Goram homes.
Ian was one of a group of residents who came together to achieve the Knowle West Local Lettings Policy. Ian spent many hours knocking on doors in Filwood, in order to better understand people’s concerns about access to housing locally. He worked with others, including local councillors and council officers, to bring the Knowle West Local Lettings policy into being. Attending many meetings, sending emails, and contacting appropriate individuals.
Ian volunteers many hundreds of hours per year to different events, meetings, sending emails, making contacts and connections to advocate for the local community of Knowle West. Always willing to give his time and his carefully considered opinions working always for the larger community.
Other local recipients
Ian joins other local residents as recipients of the medal including: Heather Pickford, Heather volunteers her time to improve green spaces in Inns Court and supports Inns Court Resident Group. And, Leanne Reynolds who works tirelessly across the city for Knife Crime Prevention and the installation of bleed kits.
Who can make a nomination for a medal
Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations are judged by a panel of Bristol city councillors and the Lord Mayor.
Around 12 to 15 medals are awarded. It is a competitive process and not all nominations submitted are successful. The Lord Mayor’s Medal is awarded on the basis that the individual in receipt is of good character.